Toilet flush tank assembly



Oct. 15, 1957 c. L. GOLDTRAP TOILET FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 7. 1955 FIG. 2

INVEN TOR. CHFRLEY L. G'QLDTRAP ATTORNEYS Oct. 15, 1957 c. L. GOLDTRAP TOILET FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7. 1955 Fla-.7

INVENTOR. C'HARkfi LGeLeTRAP' 2,809,656 Fat-tented Oct. 15, 1957 fire T GEEK FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY Charley L. Goldtrap, Denver, Colo., assignor of one-third each to Dan Kamphansen, Littleton, and William W. Flenniken, Euglewood, Colo.

Application December 7, 1955, Serial No. 551,671

6 Claims. (Cl. 137-430) The present invention relates to a toilet flush tank assembly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flush tank assembly which is automatic in operation and has means for silencing the noise when the tank is being refilled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flush tank assembly which has valve means closable by water pressure and openable by the weight of an entrapped body of water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flush tank assembly which has means for absorbing the surge of pressure caused by the closing of the tank inlet.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a toilet flush tank assembly which is sturdy in construction and fabricated of few parts, one which may be economically manufactured and assembled, and one which is highly efiicient in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a toilet flush tank with the assembly of the present invention installed therein, the tank being shown broken away, and with the valve of the assembly being shown in closed position,

Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of the Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, and

Figure 7 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 2, with the valve in open position.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the toilet flush tank assembly of the present invention comprises an upright casing or post 11) positioned within a tank 11 above the bottom 12 and having its lower end in communication with the inlet 13. The casing 19 is so positioned by an upright pipe 14 which depends therefrom and has its lower end threaded into an inlet coupling 15 secured in the tank bottom 12. The pipe 14 opens into the casing above a valve chamber 16 which is within the lower end of the casing and is preferably integral therewith.

A conduit 17 connects the valve chamber 16 with an overflow pipe 18 which empties into the outlet of the tank 11. An outlet ball valve 19 normally closes the tank outlet and is movable to an open position to flush the toilet by means of a conventional flushing valve assembly including a handle 26 mounted exteriorly of the tank, an actuating arm 21 operatively connected to the handle 29 and within the tank, and a link 22 on the end of the arm 21 remote from the handle 26 and operatively connected to the outlet ball valve 19.

A horizontally-disposed resilient valve seat 23 is fixed to the upper side of a horizontally-disposed partition 24 which extends across the valve chamber 16 and has a hole therethrough. A valve 25 is positioned above the valve seat 23 and is mounted for opening and closing movements with respect to the valve seat 23. The means mounting the valve 25 comprises a vertically-disposed valve stem 26 that is enlarged at its lower end and slidably supported in a sleeve 27 on the bottom of the valve chamber 16, from thence extending upwardly through the valve seat 23 to the valve.

A lever 28 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends and the valve chamber 16 with its shorter inner end bearing upwardly against the lower end of the stem 26 and swinging about a horizontal axis. The lever may be supported between brackets 29 and 31 by a pivot pin 31.

An upstanding cylindrical shell 32 is formed with an internal hollow post 33 that is opened at its lower end and slidably embraces the casing 10 for up and down movement. The post 33 is carried by and formed integrally with the lower end of the shell 32 and defines an annular water-ballast chamber by which the shell is converted into a wei hted float unit that is designed to lower upon the outer longer end of the lever 23 to depress it and thereby lift the valve 25 to its open position for the refilling of the tank. In Figure 2 the valve 25 is shown in its closed position and in Figure 7 the valve is shown in its open position.

The shell 32 and its internal hub or post 33 are so joined together as to provide a substantially bell-shaped recess 35 to receive the upstanding pipe 14 and permit the shell to rotate freely about the post 111 without binding.

A plurality of compressible elements 36, here shown as three in number and each embodying a resilient ball fabricated of rubber or neoprene, are positioned within the upper end of the casing 16 above the level of the water therein, or floating in the water therein, for yielding to any increase in water pressure by the inward opening movement of the valve 25.

A resilient cushion 37 is fixed to the under face of the closed upper end of the hub 33 and has a breather hole therethrough in registry with a vent hole 33 provided in the upper end of the post 33.

A slot 39 in the wall of the valve chamber 16 constitutes a restricted orifice for discharging into the interior of the tank 11.

The shell 32 is provided with a slot 40 for the admission of water to the interior or ballast chamber of the shell, the interior of the shell constituting a chamber for entrapped air to give buoyancy thereto.

A plurality of vents 41 are arranged in vertically spaced relation in the shell 32 above the slot 49 and adjacent the upper end of the shell 32. Closure means, embodying a plurality of corks 42, are positioned in selected ones of the vents 41 for adjusting the level of the water within the ballast chamber and thereby vary the buoyancy of the shell 32 to impart a float characteristic thereto. The lever 28 has a portion 43 on its inner end for engagement with the bottom of the valve chamber to limit the opening movement of the valve 25 and to limit the downward movement of the float unit 32.

The assembly of the present invention is installed in the tank 11 by threading the pipe 14 into the internal threads of the coupling 15.

in operation, when the tank 11 is refilled for the first time after installing the assembly of the present invention, the shell 32 is held down until the water level in the tank reaches the slot 40. Water will enter the interior or ballast 'chamber of the shell 32 and form a weight for operating the lever 28 when the water level drops within the tank 11. Water normally will rise no further in the shell 32 than the opened one of the vents 41. The entrapped air in'the dome above will cause the shell 32 a to rise within the tank 11 and to release the lever 28 so that water pressure within the casing will move the valve 25 to its closed position. The vent hole 38 in the upper end of the hub permits'the air entrapped therein to escape or be pumped into the interior of the shell 32 ,upon the next movement of the shell 32 downwardly.

The level of the water within the shell 32 and therefore the amount of entrapped air and entrapped water may be adjusted by shifting the corks within the vents 41 to uncover a selected one of the vents 41 at the level desired.

The multiplicity of balls 36 contained within the hollow post 10 serves to maintain a compressible fluid within the ball-receiving chamber. Except for such provision,

the unseating of the valve 25 would be obstructed by reason of the incompressible liquid. While one ball may sufilce, a plurality of balls will provide a safety factor if for any reason one of the balls becomes ineflective.

The float forming shell constitutes a buoyant body which rises and falls with the liquid level to permit the valve 25 to close under the hydraulic pressure on the rise of the float and to open under the load of the float on the fall of the Watcr-ballasted body. The high level of the water in the tank may be determined by a resetting of the stoppers 42 to regulate the buoyancy of the float. The ballast chamber is automatically maintained constant. It is self-filling. The size of the air chamber determines the depth to which the float chamber will ride on the high water level and the point at which the float will engage the valve lever 28.

Preferably, the assembly of the present invention is fabricated of plastic or lightweight metal and the valve seat 23, the compressible elements 36 and the cushion 37 are fabricated of rubber or neoprene.

The inlet conduit 14 depends from chambered body '10 and serves as a supporting means for the chamber unit which has an outlet opening downwardly into the space underlying the chambered body, which latter overhangs the depending inlet conduit. The valve 25 has its relatively smaller stem 26 depending through the outlet opening for support on the inner end of the lever 28. The stem merely rests upon the inner end of the lever under the weight of the valve which latter will close of its own accord when the Water pressure is low. The weight of the valve will also maintain the outer operating arm of the lever in contact with the float as it rises and falls to provide a slow and smooth closing and opening action of the valve for dampening noise from water surge. Nevertheless, the float is free to rise by its buoyancy from off the outer end of the lever. The outer end of the lever extends laterally from the valve chamber and beyond it to lie in the vertical path of the float so that when the ball dump valve 19 is opened the float will lower upon the outer end of the lever and rock it to lift the valve head 25 and open the outlet port.

The valved body with its upright chamber extension 10, and the lever 28, form a chamber unit which is wholly supported by the inlet conduit, and all that is necessary to do in order to complete the assembly and installation of the float controlled valve mechanism is to place the float over the upright extension and admit the water ballast to for free sliding and rotary movement of the float thereon.

unit and is closed at its top except for the vent passage 38 which opens into the entrapped air chamber. When the float unit is in its lowermost position the air from the tubular guide has been displaced therefrom intothe entrapped air compartment for greatest buoyancy.

The simplicity of the construction is recognized by the ease of its installation which necessitates only the mounting of the chamber unit by securing the depending inlet conduit in place. Thereafter the float unit is dropped over the upright extension and water ballast admitted. The foregoing description has been given in detail and without thought of limitation since the inventive principles involved are'capable of assuming other physical embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A float controlled valve mechanism comprising an upright casing having its lower end open for being positioned within a tank and spaced above the bottom there of, a valve chamber Within said casing adjacent the lower end thereof and having an inlet, there being a restricted orifice in the Wall of said valve chamber connected in communication with the interior of said tank, a valve seat in said valve chamber, a valve positioned above said valve seat and mounted for movement between opened and closed positions with respect to said valve seat, a vertically-disposed stem extending slidably through the bottom of said chamber and said valve seat and having the upper end attached to said valve, a lever positioned below and exteriorly of the bottom of said chamber and having one end bearing against the lower end of said stem and connected intermediate the ends thereof to said casing for swinging movement above a horizontal axis, an upstanding shell having an inner guiding post supported on said casing for sliding upward and downward movement, said shell having its lower end engageable with the other end of said lever and operable to move said valve to the open position upon downward movement of said shell, a compressible element in said casing for absorbing the surge of water pressure induced upon movement of said valve to its closed position, the interior of said shell exteriorly of said post forming a chamber for entrapped air and water, said chamber having an inlet for air and water from the tank, there being a plurality of vents arranged in vertical spaced relation adjacent the upper end of said shell, and closure means positioned in all but one of said vents for adjusting the level of water within said air and Water chamber.

2. A float controlled valve mechanism comprising a float unit and a chamber unit, the latter having a chambered body with a depending inlet conduit, said chambered body overhanging one side of the depending conduit and provided with a downwardly opening outlet, a valve 7 in the chamber for closing under water pressure and having a stem depending through the outlet and beneath the overhanging portion of the chamber unit, and a lever fulcrumed on the overhanging body for removal as a unit therewith, an upright chamber extension on which the float unit is guidingly supportedfor rise and fall sliding movement independently of the lever, said float having a tubular guide opening through its bottom to enable the float being removably placed over the upright extension, said lever having one end underlying and supporting the stem and its opposite end extending laterally of and beyond the chambered body and into the path of the float to be depressed thereby for opening the valve during the descent of the float, said float being movable duit and provided with a downwardly opening outlet, a valve in the chamber for closing under water pressure and having a stem depending through the outlet and beneath the overhanging portion of the chamber unit, a lever fulcrurned on the overhanging body for removal as a unit therewith, an upright chamber extension on which the float unit is guidingly supported for rise and fall sliding movement independently of the lever, said float having a tubular guide opening through its bottom to enable the float being removably placed over the upright extension, said lever having one end underlying and supporting the stem and its opposite end extending laterally of and beyond the chambered body and into the path of the float to be depressed thereby for opening the valve during the descent of the float, said float being movable out of the effective reach of the lever during the ascent of the float for the closing of the valve in response to the Water pressure, and a compressible body arranged in the upright chamber extension for yielding to any increase in water pressure incidental to the opening of the valve.

4. A float controlled valve mechanism for flush tanks, comprising a casing having an inlet connection to a source of water supply, a float guidingly supported by the casing for rising and falling with the liquid level in the tank, an outlet valve from the casing into said tank, an actuating arm for the valve pivoted on the casing and having one end engageable with the valve and the other end underlying the float for actuation by the float to open the valve upon a descent of the float for filling the tank, said float having a water ballast chamber with an inlet from such tank to maintain a predetermined and constant ballast of water, said float also having an air chamber to provide buoyancy thereto.

5. A float controlled valve mechanism for flush tanks, comprising a casing having an inlet connected to a water supply for the tank, a float guidingly supported by the casing for rising and falling with the liquid level in the tank, an outlet valve from the casing to the tank, an ac tuating lever for the valve pivoted on the chamber and having one end engageable with the valve and the other end extending beneath the float and engageable by the float for opening the valve upon a descent of the float to fill the tank, said float having a water ballast chamber with an inlet irom the tank to maintain a predeter- 6 mined and constant ballast of water, said float also having an air chamber to buoy the float and means for varying the capacity of the air chamber.

6. A float controlled valve mechanism comprising an upright casing positioned within a tank and spaced above the bottom thereof, a valve chamber within said casing adjacent the lower end thereof and having an inlet connected to a water supply and also connected with the interior of the tank, a valve seat in said valve chamber, a valve positioned above said valve seat and mounted for movement between open and closed positions with re spect to said valve seat, a vertically-disposed valve stem extending slidably through the bottom of said casing and said valve seat and having the upper end attached to said valve, a lever positioned below and exteriorly of the bottom of said casing and having one end bearing against the lower end of said stem and pivoted intermediate the ends thereof to said casing for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, an upstanding shell having an inner guiding post supported on said casing for sliding upward and downward movement, said shell having its lower end engageable with the other end of said lever and operable to move said valve to the open position upon downward movement of said shell, the interior of said shell exteriorly of said post forming a chamber for entrapped air and water, said chamber having an inlet for air and water from the tank there being a plurality of vents arranged in vertically spaced relation adjacent the upper end of said shell, and closure means positioned in all but one of said Vents for adjusting the level of water within said air and water chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,270,901 Watrous July 2, 1918 1,778,114 Mace Oct. 14, 1930 2,189,427 Long Feb. 6, 1940 2,477,224 Wright July 26, 1949 2,497,020 Singer Feb. 7, 1950 2,682,888 Crockett July 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 583,727 France Nov. 5, 1924 

